Trainees

Our Lab

Postdoctoral Fellows

François Gallant

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Ruth Lavergne

Research Interests

Primary care, health workforce, medical education

Research Methods

Quantitative

Additional Expertise

Pizza, running, rocks, roots and berms

François is a Mitacs Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Dalhousie Family Medicine and Vitalité Health Network. He is interested in empirical methods and the creative use of observational data to contribute to the evidence base. Generally, François hopes to address research questions that will facilitate the empowerment of individuals, families, and communities to take charge of their own health.

Rebecca Correia

she/her

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Ruth Lavergne

Research Interests

Primary care, elder care, health workforce

Research Methods

Quantitative, mixed

Additional Expertise

Skiing, book clubs, playing with my puppy

Rebecca completed her doctoral training in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University (2024). She has extensive health services research experience leading quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, including population-based administrative data research. Her postdoctoral work focuses on quantitative, multi-provincial studies to understand the impacts of population aging on primary care needs and capacity.

Sian Tsuei

he/him

Postdoctoral Fellow
Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Lindsay Hedden

Research Interests

Primary care, health policy, healthcare technology

Research Methods

Quantitative, qualitative

Additional Expertise

Basketball

Sian is a practicing family physician in BC and Northwest Territories. After family medicine residency at UBC, he completed his PhD in Population Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He specializes in health systems research, and his research leverages and develops organizational behaviour theories. His research focuses on understanding how health systems change relative to telemedicine and artificial intelligence shocks.

Doctoral Students

Ali Coates

she/her

PhD, Management (Health Systems)
University of Ottawa

Supervisor

Agnes Grudniewiciz

Research Interests

Rural health, health policy, health equity

Research Methods

Qualitative

Additional Expertise

Hivernophile (expert in winter appreciation)

Ali Coates is an Assistant Professor at Reh School of Business and Lewis School of Health Sciences at Clarkson University. She has been a NRHA Rural Health Fellow and is the President of the Board of Directors of the New York State Rural Health Association. Ali’s current research focuses on knowledge used in strategic decision-making at rural hospitals that have become part of larger health systems.

Andrew Putman

they/them

PhD, Computer Science
Ontario Tech University

Supervisors

David Rudoler & Peter Lewis

Research Interests

Mental health, health equity, AI ethics

Research Methods

Quantitative, mixed

Additional Expertise

Tinkering, reading, random fact accumulation

Ellie Gooderham

she/her

PhD, Health Sciences
Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Lindsay Hedden

Research Interests

Primary care, health equity, healthcare access

Research Methods

Mixed

Additional Expertise

Travelling, baking, walking my dog

Emran Hasan

he/him

PhD, Health
Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Ruth Lavergne

Research Interests

Primary care, health policy, health equity

Research Methods

Quantitative, EMR & administrative data analysis

Additional Expertise

Cooking, movies

Emran Hasan is a doctoral student and Nova Scotia Graduate Scholar at the Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University. He received his undergraduate and masters in Economics from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He serves as Deputy Director at Research and Policy Integration for Development, Bangladesh. Previously, Emran was an Economics faculty member at the Bangladesh University of Professionals, Bangladesh.

Gillian Young

she/her

PhD, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Western University

Supervisors

Lindsay Hedden & Maria Mathews

Research Interests

Primary care, health policy, healthcare access

Research Methods

Quantitative, qualitative

Additional Expertise

Swimming, biking, canoeing, playing cello, calligraphy

Gillian is a PhD candidate in the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. She completed her undergraduate degree in the Arts and Science program at McMaster University followed by her MSc Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. Gillian's doctoral thesis will focus on an economic evaluation of the Primary Care Diabetes Support Program at St. Joseph's Health Care in London, Ontario.

Joel Dissanayake

he/him

PhD, Health Systems Research
University of Toronto

Supervisors

David Rudoler & Claire de Oliveira

Research Interests

Mental health, health policy

Research Methods

Quantitative, qualitative, mixed

Additional Expertise

Weight lifting, golf, spending time with my dog Duke

Joel is a PhD student in the Health Systems Research program at the University of Toronto. Joel completed his BSc at the University of Guelph and his MHSc at Ontario Tech University. His masters thesis consisted of a scoping review identifying the barriers and facilitators of implementing suicide risk assessments in emergency departments and inpatient facilities. His PhD will focus on payment reform for community-based psychiatrists in Ontario.

Julie Vizza

she/her

PhD, Health Science
Ontario Tech University

Supervisors

Agnes Grudniewicz & David Rudoler

Research Interests

Primary care, healthcare quality, patient engagement

Research Methods

Qualitative

Additional Expertise

Reading, travelling, remixing recipes, Pomeranian wrangling

Julie studies how patient and caregiver insights can serve as practical evidence to improve how care is designed, delivered and evaluated. Her work explores how people make sense of illness, navigate treatment burden and trade-offs, and where systems help or hinder person-centred care. Her doctoral work focuses on multimorbidity, with particular interest in how older adults manage medications across settings.

Reem Gaafar

she/her

PhD, Health Sciences
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Research Interests

Mental health, health policy, healthcare access

Research Methods

Qualitative, knowledge synthesis

Additional Expertise

Reading, writing, painting with water colours

Reem is a public health physician and an award-winning novelist. She has consulted for several entities including WHO, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, GHD/EMPHNET and several governments, and mentors researchers writing in English as a second language. Her doctoral research focuses on solutions for housing-related delayed discharge of people with severe mental illness and their experience transitioning into supportive housing.

Ross Duncan

he/him

PhD, Health Services & Policy Research
Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Lindsay Hedden

Research Interests

Healthcare access, healthcare quality, virtual care

Research Methods

Mixed

Additional Expertise

Acoustic guitar, game nights, history podcasts

Ross’s areas of expertise are in economics, mixed-methods, evaluation, and health services research. He is a learning health systems analyst with Michael Smith Health Research BC and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UBC. He has over decade of experience working with administrative data. His research interests are focused on aligning research and health system priorities to improve access and quality of care.

Masters Students

Elliott Brierley

he/him

MSc, Management
University of Ottawa

Supervisor

Agnes Grudniewiciz

Research Interests

Primary care, mental health, health policy

Research Methods

Qualitative

Additional Expertise

French bulldogs, cats, exercise, fantasy

Elliott is a Master of Science student in Management at the University of Ottawa. Before starting his research, Elliott was a national account manager for two of the largest coffee brands in Canada. He is interested in interprofessional collaboration in primary care and mental health. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Mental Health and has always had a passion for improving the lives of those in his community.

Eric Poarch

he/him

MSc, Epidemiology and Applied Health Research
Dalhousie University

Supervisors

Ruth Lavergne

Research Interests

Primary care, mental health, health policy

Research Methods

Quantitative

Additional Expertise

Skiing, rock climbing, cooking

Hannah Wotherspoon

she/her

MSc, Health Systems

University of Ottawa

Supervisors

Agnes Grudniewicz & Manoj Lalu

Research Interests

Health policy, knowledge translation, translational science

Research Methods

Qualitative

Additional Expertise

Skiing, figure skating, baking

Prior to her graduate studies, Hannah completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Guelph. During her MSc program, she undertook an internship at the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO), where she contributed to a project examining public health funding in Canada. Her thesis research focuses on identifying the factors that influence the implementation of early phase cell therapy clinical trials

Julia Bailey

she/her

MHSc, Community, Population, and Public Health
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Research Interests

Mental health, health policy, healthcare access

Research Methods

Quantitative

Additional Expertise

Running, skiing, hiking, chess, travelling

Julia is a MHSc student at Ontario Tech University. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Population Health from the University of Toronto. Julia has contributed to clinical, mixed-methods, and observational research projects, and she currently works part-time as a Research Analyst at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her research focuses on continuity of care with the goal of informing healthcare policy.

Kezia Kesson

she/her

MPH, Public Health
Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Lindsay Hedden

Research Interests

Primary care, community antimicrobial stewardship

Research Methods

Quantitative

Additional Expertise

Baking, decorating cozy spaces

Maryam Rana

she/her

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Research Interests

Mental health, health equity, healthcare access

Research Methods

Quantitative

Additional Expertise

Reading, painting, travelling to scenic places

I graduated with a BHSc (Honours) from Ontario Tech University and I am now pursuing a MHSc in Community, Public, and Population health. My motivation for research sparked when I engaged in a research practicum project in my 4th year of undergrad with my current supervisor (Dr. David Rudoler). My current work focuses on the relationship between the intensity of psychotherapy and symptom improvement in those with anxiety and depression.

Sarah Muñoz-Violant

she/her

MSc, Health Sciences
Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Lindsay Hedden

Research Interests

Addictions, virtual care, knowledge translation

Research Methods

Qualitative

Additional Expertise

Quality time with friends & family, skiing, cycling

Lab Alumni

Aidan Bodner

he/him

MSc, Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation
University of Toronto

Supervisors

Sara Allin & David Rudoler

Catherine Kadamani

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

Supervisors

Agnes Grudniewicz & Jennifer Dimoff

Husayn Jessa

he/him

MSc, Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation
University of Toronto

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Lucie Péléja

she/her

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

Supervisors

Agnes Grudniewicz & Tracey O'Sullivan

Marc Albert

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

Supervisors

Agnes Grudniewicz & Manoj Lalu

Margaret Jamieson

she/her

PhD, Health Research (Health Economics)
University of Toronto

Supervisors

Audrey Laporte & David Rudoler

Nabiha Tariq Paracha

she/her

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Stephanie Littleford

she/her

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Tai Hollingbery

they/them

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

David Rudoler

Meet our PIs

Meet our staff

Our Lab

Trainees

Postdoctoral Fellows

François Gallant

Postdoctoral Fellow Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Rebecca Correia

Postdoctoral Fellow Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Quantitative, mixed

Additional Expertise

Sian Tsuei

Postdoctoral Fellow Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Doctoral Students

Ali Coates

PhD, Management (Health Systems) University of Ottawa

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Andrew Putman

PhD, Computer Science Ontario Tech University

Supervisors

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Ellie Gooderham

PhD, Health Sciences Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Emran Hasan

PhD, Health Dalhousie University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Gillian Young

PhD, Epidemiology & Biostatistics Western University

Supervisors

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Joel Dissanayake

PhD, Health Systems Research University of Toronto

Supervisors

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Julie Vizza

PhD, Health Science Ontario Tech University

Supervisors

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Reem Gaafar

PhD, Health Sciences Ontario Tech University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Ross Duncan

PhD, Health Services & Policy Research Simon Fraser University

Supervisor

Research Interests

Research Methods

Additional Expertise

Masters Students

Elliott Brierley

MSc, Management University of Ottawa

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dalhousie University

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dalhousie University

Postdoctoral Fellow
Simon Fraser University

PhD, Management (Health Systems)
University of Ottawa

PhD, Computer Science
Ontario Tech University

PhD, Health Sciences
Simon Fraser University

PhD, Health
Dalhousie University

PhD, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Western University

PhD, Health Systems Research
University of Toronto

PhD, Health Science
Ontario Tech University

PhD, Health Sciences
Ontario Tech University

PhD, Health Services & Policy Research
Simon Fraser University

MSc, Management
University of Ottawa

MSc, Epidemiology and Applied Health Research
Dalhousie University

MHSc, Community, Population, and Public Health
Ontario Tech University

MPH, Public Health
Simon Fraser University

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

MSc, Health Sciences
Simon Fraser University

MSc, Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation
University of Toronto

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

MSc, Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation
University of Toronto

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

MSc, Health Systems
University of Ottawa

PhD, Health Research (Health Economics)
University of Toronto

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

MHSc, Community, Public, and Population Health
Ontario Tech University

The Health Systems Research Lab acknowledges that our work spans many Territories and Treaty areas.